Geo in MSP's Profile
booya festivals this fall
A booya correction, a booya addition:
Church of St Agnes's Fall Festival is Sunday, Oct. 24, (not the 4th). Eat in or take out booya.
http://www.stagnes.net/fall_festival.html
St. Jerome has Sunday, Oct. 31, 7am Booya, Quilt Raffle, and Bake Sale.
http://www.stjerome-church.org/?q=node/59
"Booya" is my daughter's favorite word these days.
MSP- The Anchor Fish & Chips
We got there at around 4:15, and got the last open table. I'm hoping that the kitchen speeds up just a bit to help move the crowd along.
But fortunately, we have a life where we can get there regularly at 4:15.
MSP- The Anchor Fish & Chips
nope, didn't see tartar sauce on the menu, but the table next to ours got some. (the kids were devouring the fish without, but it's definitely in the kitchen, perhaps for the asking.)
MSP- The Anchor Fish & Chips
Just opened! We stopped in, knowing that this was only their second day in operation. So take it with that understanding. IF YOU'RE READING THIS A MONTH LATER,FIND A NEWER REVIEW!
Love the vibe, the three friends trying to make a neighborhood spot. They did a nice job in the interior. Even crowded, the noise level was fine. I've never been to an Irish pub, but this was definitely nothing like any English pub I've been in. This is definitely a restaurant; in fact, the menu reminds that in a restaurant, liquor can only be purchased with food.
The waitstaff was friendly and enthusiastic. Like any new staff, they need to work out some kinks in working together. A table was wiped twice; while another sat unwiped. (This while there was a line to the door. Did I mention they're busy?) A woman, I think one of the Irish owners, was gesticulating with arm motions that would not have been out of place on a dance floor, but needs to be tempered for a crowded restaurant. These are all things about the now experience, nothing that won't be smoothed out quickly. (Did I mention they just opened?)
Prices are great.
The kitchen was a touch slow, but that should improve.
What? What about the food? Oh yeah.
We ordered fish and chips, pastie and chips, bangers, shepherd's pie, and a side of gravy. (That's like half the menu.) Simple, inexpensive, filling, goes great with beer. It's a chipper, not high-end dining. (There's not a free-standing vegetable to be found, IIRC.)
There were a few kinks that need to be worked out: salt and temperature.
The fish was a nice size piece of cod, fresh tasting. The fish was nicely cooked, the batter was light and crispy (I hate it when the batter's thick and doughy), but there was some residual oiliness to the fish. (Turning the temperature up a notch would probably fix that.) Was it really cooked in beef tallow? The oil did seem to have a bit more assertive taste, but nothing objectionable. Our serving could have used a touch of salt beforehand, but that's obviously correctable at the table. They forgot the tartar sauce with our order, but we didn't want any. They have white vinegar instead of the more common malt vinegar.
The chips were peeled and hand-cut "steak fries" style. Someone had a spot-on hand with the flaky salt. A mix from the slightly firm to the crispy. Personally, I like that little range to the fries. The gravy was for dipping fries, of course. Lumpy, thick, good for coating a fry. Tasted rather like a thickened store-bought stock, but hey, it's for dipping the chips! I wouldn't complain here that the ketchup tasted store-bought, so I'm not complaining about the gravy.
The pastie is not like the baked doughy things I usually get. This was more of a mashed potato/ground meat (pork?)/couple of vegetables, then battered and deep fried. This one was relatively small. The main problem here was that the filling was far too salty. Good thing the beer's at a nice price, I think I killed a pint over the piece of pastie. Tasty but salty.
The banger was good -- the kids liked it more than I did. Again, battered and deep fried! It had too much mace I think for my personal taste. Here there was another temperature issue -- the banger was still cool in the middle. (I didn't catch the cooking method. I would have the sausages preheated, then batter and fry to finish. We were there soon after opening, so maybe they were hotter later in the evening.)
Finally, the shepherd's pie. Tasty ground beef with a few token carrots, peas, and potatoes. I'd have expected a wetter stew, but it was fairly dry, meaty and flavorful, and not greasy. I can't say that I really noticed the mashed potato topping. I do know that they were more potato-y than creamy/buttery. I do prefer the potatoes slightly browned, and I'll know to ask next time. This dish came out fairly warm, but not hot.
In brief, a few forgivable problems, so we'll be back, and expect to see the minor improvements that will turn this into a regular stop, especially on those cold winter nights.
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The Anchor Fish and Chips
302 13th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413
[MSP] Bangkok Thai Deli, University Ave St. Paul?
The owner was very clear when I chatted with her tonight: they are not moving, they are adding a new restaurant location. I asked the owner when and where. She waved her hand vaguely to the east and said "not far, soon, and it has air conditioner."
The AC was not fixed -- though it was in the 70's outside, it was Bangkok-like inside: hot and humid.
Cheesesteaks and other local favorites [split from Midwest]
But who said "comfort food" and "gourmet food" need be polar opposites?
Cheesesteaks and other local favorites [split from Midwest]
Since I was one of those harping on the bun, I thought I should chime in.
Your point seems to be that a reasonable answer to "is there a great Philly cheesesteak in the Twin Cities" would be "yes, try the Jucy Nookie at the Nook," were we just open-minded enough to accept that vast truth. (Beef, cheese, wheat, fire. Yum.)
A Philly cheesesteak is a specific style of sandwich, and the textural quality of the bread is part of the style. To believe otherwise is to also believe that good sushi can be made with basmati rice. Sure, you could put something in basmati rice, and wrap it in something else, and dip it in a third something, and find it delicious, but that won't make it good sushi.
And to me, about the bread, the importance is not the source of the texture in the bread, as argued elsewhere, but the source of the bread with that texture. And, simply, there is no local source.
There's obvious philosophical difficulty with comparing the best here versus average there. Mainly, it's not chowish. Those of us craving a Philly cheesesteak aren't thinking about that so-so place we stopped at in Uwchlan, PA, only because it was nearby and open late. (Sadly, being me, I can recall that particular sandwich, maybe nine years ago. Chewy hoagie bun with slashed top, sirloin cooked on a too-cool griddle so it steamed, gloppy white American cheese, and *shudder* sweet pickled green peppers and canned mushrooms.) No, not that. We're craving a great cheesesteak. (The last one, for me, was this place at the back of Reading Terminal Market, which I think has since closed. I think they had a hot spot on the griddle, because the grill man would slap down the meat in that spot each time, and it would come off with perfect caramelization -- the Maillard reaction, to introduce some cheesesteak science -- and then would move it over to (I believe) a cooler section for finishing because, among other sciencey thingies, the casein in the cheese would coagulate at high temperature. The timing of everything for his particular working space, as well as simple things like how to put the filling into the bun, are important cheesesteak knowledge.)
The question isn't even whether a perfect cook could make a great locally-sourced Philly cheesesteak. Sure. There's probably a food scientist at the U who could produce the perfect bun. You could job out the resultant recipe to, hmmm, not rustica, no, maybe turtle bread? No, somewhere even more lowbrow. A la Francaise? Find a butcher willing to slice frozen boneless Thousand Hills ribeye to your specifications, pitting his deli slicer blade in the process. Find an aged Wisconsin provolone with great flavor and the perfect melting properties. With this sandwich you could make a Philadelphian weep twice. Once for the sandwich, once for the $30 price tag.
No, the question is whether you and I can buy a great Philly cheesesteak locally, and by Philly cheesesteak I mean steak and cheese cooked on a griddle and served on a bun, in the style preferred in Philadelphia and environs, with quality exemplified for each person by their own particular preference and experience in Philadelphia and surrounding towns. And the answer seems to be a resounding "no." At the very least, there isn't enough demand to produce the economies of scale necessary to sustain such an operation.
Can you buy a tasty steak-and-cheese sandwich? Yes, sure, that's what I wrote about that the place on University @ Dale, and others have mentioned their favorite steak-and-cheese creations.
Is it in "all the mind"? Of course. I can't speak for everyone, but that's where (I assume) I do all my thinking, remembering, comparing, analyzing. And of course, enjoying a meal happens in the confluence of the senses and the mind.
Is it that "only [my] mind isn't going to let [me] believe it"? It's a reasonable and interesting question, judging by the number and length of responses. I truly think that it's not just in my mind. That's the point of chowhound, to discuss specifics about specific dishes, with reference to external standards and specific sensations.
If you wanted to extend your point, then a reasonable thread would be "What's the best beef/cheese/wheat sandwich in the Twin Cities?" And we could argue the relative qualities of our favorite sandwiches. Just don't expect a local Philly cheesesteak to show up to that horse race.
Philly Cheesesteak in Minnesota
The place has now come to University and Dale, good and cheap but not Philly. My longing remains unrequited. (It's hard to tell if this is related to any place in Chicago. I doubt anyone's interested in the details of the inconclusive search.) Driving by, there's an ugly, unreadable red and blue blob followed by the clear text slogan "Famous Philly Steak and Lemonade." The blob is the shop's name, "Fire 'N' Ice." It's in the same shop as Hook (fried fish and chicken, though how you hook a chicken or shrimp, I can't guess).
Summary: not a destination, not terribly high on the authenticity scale, but tasty as an alternative to a jucy lucy.
Ambiance: Perfect run down mall setting, across from Saigon. (Which looked to still be open, by the way, so get your last licks in.) We got our order to go. It was doing hopping business on a Friday night, while the neighboring Wendy's stood forlornly empty.
Service: Friendly and efficient, at least tonight. You order centrally for both Fire N Ice and Hook menus. There's a single expediter checking orders. My guess is that both Fire N Ice and Hook have the same owner, who was going for the specialty shop feel.
Food:
The Fire in the name is a reference not only to the grill but apparently to hot pepper, which was liberally used in the Philly cheesesteak and especially the Italian Beef's hot cheese. I'm not among the Italian Beef cognoscenti, so I'll refrain from further comment, except to say that the hot cheese was surprisingly spicy. Not like Little Szechuan a few blocks away, but more than you typically get around here. Thumbs down for the authenticity, thumbs up for flavor.
Bun: too soft for the Philly cheesesteak. The proper bun outside of Philly is from Amoroso's. I'm guessing Amoroso's is the only traditional Philadelphia baker that ships nationwide. You can probably call any cheesesteak shop outside of the Philadelphia area, ask which bread they use, and if it isn't Amoroso's, it's not likely to be authentic. This one's main fault was the lack of crust. Definitely cannot be a crusty Italian bun -- there should be no crunch, no bite, flying shards of crust -- but it should have just enough tooth to avoid excessive sag. Who wants a flaccid bun?
Beef: maybe top round? A decent alternative to top choice top dollar rib eye, with the best Philly places arguing whether the rib eye should come from a cow or a bull. Top round, being tougher, takes to some marinating and to chopping on the grill. (With tender rib eye, the chopping is entirely optional.) The heat seemed to be in the meat itself, not in the peppers. A bit too chewy -- I'd guess it was a bit too wet from marinade, so not enough crusty browned bits, and a bit overchopped.
Cheese: stop saying that Whiz is authentic! It's common, but cheesesteak predates Whiz, and provolone is original. The problem is time. Provolone needs to melt, so it needs the grill man's attention, and that means time and lower productivity. Whiz, as the name says, is fast and easy and saves the grill man at least one pass. In any event, this was a white cheese of no known provenance, didn't see how it was applied, but the main problems: no work, no slide. You put down the meat, mix in the veggies, chop if necessary, add the cheese, top with bread (to steam the bun, and trap the heat and stray grease), remove the bread to lovingly work the cheese into the meat while leaving a definite cheese-rich stratum (see how much work you save by using Whiz? Who's really benefiting from Whiz?), then do the slide -- slide the spatula under the meat and all, hold out the bun, and do a sort of reverse slide to get the meat to fall just so, with most of the cheese stratum at the opening of the sandwich. There was no working the cheese into the meat, and the meat and bun must have been picked up at once, and the whole thing flipped as a unit. Wrong, wrong, wrong. All that gooey loveliness lost into the hinge of the bun, overconcentrated and sadly plastered into the bread, where it takes five nibbles to reach. And the meat, while tasty, was not cheesy.
Veggies: onions (fine), peppers (arguable) and mushrooms (dodgy for the Philly claim). Too much veggies for the amount of meat, which again is fine for flavor, keeps down the cost, and is healthier, but detracts from the authenticity.
Mayo comes standard on the sandwich. I ordered mine without -- that's certainly more authentic.
The sandwich automatically comes as a combo with fries and soda. Neither are worth mentioning. I'd guess that the guy taking orders would have dropped those and knocked a bit off the price had I asked, but it's not on the menu that way.
Off of the Hook menu, ordered chicken wings, catfish nuggets, and hush puppies for the kids. Not much to report. Plain, good oil temp so food didn't get greasy, fresh oil, the tastes didn't cross contaminate that I could tell. To my tastes, everything was just a touch under-fried, so not as crisp as I like. They might accommodate a request. Mostly little packets of sauce, some little plastic containers of (not very) hot sauce I didn't recognize offhand. Generous and cheap, but nothing to write home about.
The lemonade is strictly kids stuff, or maybe a hot summer day's fling. It's a slushy. Shaved ice, super sweet lemonade (probably a mix with a token spritz of fresh lemon), optional artificial flavors that drown everything else.
